Buyer's Guide: Winter Gear

Buyer's Guide: Winter Gear

Patagonia Knifeblade Pullover
Designed by die-hard alpine climbers, this simple pullover is a perfect example of form following function. It’s made with Polartec Power Shield Pro, a softshell material that’s stretchy, windproof, very breathable (way more so than hardshells), and relatively waterproof. Based on our testing, it’ll keep you dry in most conditions except steady rain. $349 www.patagonia.com

Mountain Hardwear Compulsion 3L Jacket
If you’re headed off on an Alaskan heli-ski trip, this is the shell for you. It’s the most full-featured jacket here, with a ski-pass pocket, pitzips, front vents, detachable powder skirt, two goggle pockets, and even a built-in Recco avalanche rescue reflector. Most importantly, it’s made with a waterproof, membrane called Dry.Q Elite that some say is more breathable than industry giant Gore-Tex. $650 www.mountainhardwear.com

Fjällräven Greenland No. 1 Special Edition
The antithesis of super high-tech, this is a re-release of Fjällräven’s original 1968 jacket designed for climbers. Made of an extremely durable and lightweight organic cotton and recycled polyester blend, it lets you dial in the waterproof and breathability levels by applying Greenland Wax (a bar of paraffin and beeswax) and melting it into the fabric with an iron. $250www.fjallraven.com

Columbia Alpine Stunner
This one blurs the lines between a puffy and a waterproof hardshell. The Stunner keeps you dry from sleet and snow thanks to built-in synthetic insulation and a shiny thermal reflective lining that works like an emergency space blanket, reflecting your body heat back to you. It also comes with a removable hood, pitzips, powder skirt, and media pocket with headphone port. $200 www.columbia.com

Dimitri Newman

Arcteryx Cerium LT Hoody
Puffy down jackets have a bad rap for being bulky and making you look and feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Not a problem with this one. Weighing in at a mere 9.7 oz., the Cerium is one of the lightest down jackets on the market. Its slimmer fit makes it perfect as a midlayer or outer jacket in very cold and dry conditions. It keeps you super warm with a combo of goose down and water-resistant synthetic down in places prone to getting wet, like the collar and sleeves. $350 www.arcteryx.com

The North Face Men’s ThermoBall Full Zip Jacket
Goose down has always been the gold standard when it comes to staying warm in the outdoors, but when it gets wet, either from precipitation or your own sweat, it loses its loft and can no longer do its job. This jacket answers that problem by using a newly developed synthetic insulation—“ThermoBall”—that promises the loft and warmth of down even when it becomes wet. It’s lightweight too—just 11.6 oz.—and is also available in a hoody ($220) or vest ($149). $199www.thenorthface.com

Seirus HeatWave Shred Gloves
We’ve all had glove failure—one minute you’re conquering the mountain, the next you’re a kid who’s lost his mittens. Not much is worse than cold, wet hands when you’re skiing or boarding, but these gloves can help. With a softshell outer and an inner layer of waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex, the Shred gloves keep snow and slush out while letting your hands breathe so they don’t get clammy. A shiny thermal lining (much like that in the Columbia jacket above) reflects your body’s heat back to your hands. $80www.seirus.com

Dimitri Newman

Editor’s ChoiceAdidas Slopecruiser CP
It’s time to trade in those old lumberjack snow boots. Looking like the love child of a basketball shoe and a snowboard boot, the Slopecruisers offer thin PrimaLoft insulation for warmth, plus a lugged sole for traction on snow
and ice. $125www.adidas.com

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